The legend of the Mother Dragon & Baby Dragons
Quang Ninh is the possessor of a rich treasure of folk tales, of which the stories explaining the formation of major landmarks, especially the legend associated with the image of the dragon in Ha Long Bay accounts for the majority of the total number.
Since ancient times, the people inhabiting Hon Gai region have used their rich imagination to weave the legend of Ha Long Bay: “According to legend, when Vietnam first became a country, the Vietnamese had to fight off invaders. The gods sent the Mother Dragon and her children to help them against their invaders. The family of dragons spat out jade and emeralds, which formed a barrier against the enemy and helped the Vietnamese defeat their aggressors. After the battle, the dragons did not return to the heavens but stayed in the bay.
Legend says the Mother Dragon landed in what is known today as Hạ Long Bay; her children set down in Bai Tu Long Bay. The tail of the dragon flock wagging white is Long Vi (Tra Co nowadays).
There is also a different version of the story to explain the strange shapes of the rocky islands in Ha Long Bay: “According to folklore, the bay owes its creation to dragons sent by the heavens to defend the country against invaders. When the country of Vietnam was formed, it had to fight off invaders attempting to enter the country through the sea. That's when the Jade Emperor prayed to the Gods to send the Mother Dragon and her children to help the people of Vietnam. The dragons came down to spray pearls which quickly turned into scattered rocky islands and into a bagua formation to help people block the enemy's advance. The dragons were attached to this land and did not return to heaven, the dragon children missed their mother and followed her down. The place where the dragon children knelt down to pay respect to their mother was later named Bai Tu Long (Dragon children pay respect to their mother). Today, Ha Long Bay still has the shape of a dragon and there is a range of ten peaks on Chang Ngo Island in Bai Tu Long Bay, nine of which face Ha Long, one turns in another direction. There is a folk song: “Nine children follow their mother continuously/ The youngest child is determined not to follow”.
The third version is quite different but still associated with the image of the dragon family: “In ancient times, people living in this area occasionally saw a mother dragon carrying a flock of baby dragons flying down from the sky, playing on the river. When the land was dry, cracked, and the trees withered, the dragon swallowed large whirlpools that sprayed all over the area. The landscape became lush again. On stormy days, fishing boats returning from far away were in danger. The dragon circled around the boat, shielding it from the big waves and strong winds, guiding it to shore. People loved the dragon and often brought offerings to the shore to thank the dragon whenever there was a festival or ceremony in the area. But then suddenly, the dragons disappeared and villains came to destroy the innocent people. The people brought offerings to the shore, asking for the dragon's help. The mother dragon and her children reappeared, swooped down, and breathed fire to burn the villains. The tongues of fire fell into the sea, turning into mountains and islands. The place where the mother dragon descended is now Ha Long Bay, the place where her children returned to pay homage to their mother is Bai Tu Long Bay.
It can be seen that the birth of Ha Long Bay was associated with legend about dragons. In fact, Ha Long Bay was formed by natural geological formations millions of years ago, but local people, with their exceptional folkloric imagination and the love for Ha Long Bay, have chosen a unique and more poetic explanation. Although the versions may differ to some degree, the legends all point to the message: Ha Long is a beautiful land where the dragon descends to gather the sacred energy of the mountains and rivers.
